How the specialists have been cornered

Penalty corner specialists have always been considered special talents in hockey, for their ability to turn matches around with one precise drag-flick.

The ongoing World Cup though, has been a disappointment in this regard. Almost every team in this tournament has failed to make use of the penalty corners, and no specialist has had a major impact on the strength of converting PCs.

No bumps

While a wobbly, bumpy turf was cited as an excuse initially, after six days of hockey, that argument has begun to pale. “A turf can be blamed only if the ball isn’t stopped or pushed properly,” says Jugraj Singh, one of the best penalty corner experts India has produced. “In this tournament, such chances have been very few. So the turf cannot be blamed for the poor conversions.”

So, what exactly are the reasons for the poor success of penalty corner experts, otherwise considered reliable enough to be match-winners? “The goalkeepers have worked really hard, they have done extremely well so far,” says Jugraj. “Most of the so-called experts have been around for a few years now, and they have not developed as much as defenders and goalkeepers. There is no new variation to be seen.”

Jorge Lombi, here as the assistant coach of Argentina and one of the most lethal and successful penalty corner specialists in the game’s history, admits the difference is the level of goalkeeping. “I think they have come up with some brilliant saves… it is not that those taking penalty corners have suddenly become bad,” Lombi says.

Hassan Sardar, one of the greatest Pakistan players and now a selector, feels penalty corner experts have not kept pace with changes. “Take Sohail Abbas, for example. He is one of the greatest exponents of the art, but after all these years, he has been watched, assessed and dissected by every coach in the world. There is no variation, and the speed has also gone down,” he points out.

However, while the conversion rates have been poor (see box) there’s no denying the fact that penalty corners remain important to a team, as the most successful sides in either group are the ones with the best conversion rates: England (with 50%) and The Netherlands (42%).